Birth Story – My Christmas Eve Miracle

Today is my first born’s birthday. He is five years old today. Where has the time gone? It feels like only yesterday I became a mum for the first time.

This is how I looked at my works Christmas night out a few days before I was taken into hospital with pre-eclampsia.

I kept relatively well during my pregnancy considering I have a kidney condition which could complicate things. I did get several infections and spent that later months on continuous antibiotics but all in all it wasn’t too bad. My kidneys were still doing their job and were working a little better than normal, always a bonus.

Lucas was due on the 31st December and I planned on finished up on the 22nd December from work, I only had 6 months and wanted to make the most of it at the other end. But, I was getting big and my health was deteriorating towards the end so I finished up a week earlier. Just as well as I was taken in on the 22nd with pre-eclampsia. I was suffering from bad headaches and my sister in law said I had moon face. Nice I know, but I was so swollen. My blood pressure was high, so they didn’t want to take any risks.

My induction started on the Friday 22nd but didn’t move along much with the gel stuff. Due to the fact there were no inductions other than emergencies on Christmas day I had to wait in a queue, so unless I went naturally I was in for a long wait. Still nothing on the Saturday but at visiting that evening, I was told it was my turn. I was a few centimetres along but still had a long way to go. They tried to burst my waters but it looked like they had already gone, where, I guess I’ll never know. However, with my second they started leaking so that may have been the case, but you’d think I’d have noticed I did with the second. I was mainly concerned that I’d give birth before Christmas day.

I was hooked up to the machines and monitored. The contractions were coming thick and fast after a few hours but I was only 4 centimetres along. I asked for an epidural at this point, as I had only wanted gas and air but if it got too much I wanted an epidural I didn’t want the in between stuff as I knew it’d make me sick. When I asked they decided at that point to check and see how my kidneys were doing. Why not have checked earlier I know but they waited until then, so 2 hours later, the results were in and they were fine and I could get my epidural. I was in agony at this point, my blood pressure was through the roof and baby was getting distressed. It took 4 attempts to get the epidural to work and by this point there was no break between contractions, baby’s heart rate was dropping rapidly. They checked and couldn’t believe it I was fully dilated and was probably too late to have had the epidural but ah well.

My baby’s heart rate dropped they knew they had to get the baby out. My friend’s sister had a still birth baby a few months earlier and I was terrified this was happening to me. My blood pressure was so high, they were about to prep my for an emergency section. I had fifteen people in the room between midwives, anaesthetists, surgeons and doctors. One doctor got me to push, two pushes later then pulled my baby out with the forceps.

It was hectic, stressful, painful and not at all a pleasant experience, but my baby was hear. To hear that first cry was the most beautiful sound ever.

The time was 5:25am and Lucas was 6 1/2 lbs. He was perfect.

Our first cuddles pretty much after birth.

Our first family picture, I couldn’t take my eyes off him.

We got home on Christmas day in plenty of time for Christmas dinner. How cute is he.

We were back in a few days later but that’s a whole other story. For now, he is my baby and always will be.

I am so proud of the boy he has become and can’t wait to see him grow and spend as much time as I can with him.

Happy birthday my handsome boy. I hope you have a wonderful day and all your wishes and dreams come true.